You may have looked at an ingredient label on one of your private label skincare products and seen the word “hydrosol” and wondered, what exactly is that? Well, a hydrosol is like a botanical water. You can think of it like an essential oil, but water based because that’s basically what it is! Hydrosols are what’s left over from the essential oil making process. They contain a lot of the same plant compounds as an essential oil but in a much less concentrated form. This makes them ideal for those who have sensitive skin and for using as a base for private label skincare products. After all, why use plain water when you can use botanically active flower water instead?

Hydrosols actually do contain a very small amount of volatile compounds, so using one is like giving your skin a micro dose of essential oil goodness. And because they are not nearly as concentrated as an essential oil, those with very sensitive skin may find they really like hydrosols for this reason. Additionally, hydrosols contain all of the water-soluble compounds in the plant that do not get extracted into the essential oil. Using a hydrosol on its own or as a private label product base ensures that your skin gets the full spectrum of what each plant has to offer instead of just one category.

Some of our favorite ways to use hydrosols, aside from as private label skincare product bases, include using them as summer time facial spritzes. They are cooling, soothing and restorative to the skin without being heavy, sticky or any of the other things that hot, sweaty summer skin doesn’t need. If you are looking for something soothing, choose a hydrosol like cucumber, cantaloupe or chamomile. If you want something a little more anti aging, go for rose, geranium or sandalwood. The possibilities are abundant and fun, and you can combine hydrosols with a level of creative abandon you can’t always have when it comes to essential oils because you don’t need to worry so much about conflicting aromas.

For all your private label product needs and personal skincare experiments, hydrosols are a fantastic resource to easily and simply boost the level of support given to your skin. Easy to work with, effective and versatile, botanical waters are a staple of our private label skincare formulating and should be a mainstay in your products too.